You should read every word on this Tamron 17-50 VC review because…
It’s simply amazing! I never thought Tamron can make such an amazing lens. It’s even better than Nikon or Canon lens on the same league. Sounds hard to believe? Read my story.
I bought mine because my buddy, Josh, asked me to shoot his wedding (for free, of course). Since he was low on budget, he hired a newbie photographer. He was afraid that his photographer couldn’t capture all the important moments, that’s why he asked me for cover.
Shot Using Canon Nikon D300s and Tamron 17-50 VC Lens
I have a Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 AF-S Lens
One of my friend told me about the new Tamron 17-50 VC. It has about the same range as the Nikkor, same aperture AND a vibration compensation feature. I’ll be shooting inside a church. So, a big aperture is a must. But, a vibration compensation? It’s a gift from heaven.
Needless to say, I bought the Nikon mount
The autofocus is fast and accurate. It is dead on all the time, even for the church shots. The vibration compensation works extremely well. I was able to get sharp pictures even at a shutter speed of 1/10th of a second. On top of that, the lens is light and very easy to carry around. Exactly like I wanted.
The only thing that I don’t like is the autofocus speed. It’s a bit slower than my Nikkor. But, that doesn’t matter. I got the shots. That’s all that matters.
What about image quality? After shooting, I downloaded the pictures to my computer and was simply shocked at the quality.
The Tamron is sharper than my Nikkor.
Yes, you’ve read that right. Not by a far margin, but an average person can tell the difference. I asked my wife, friend and kids – they all can tell the difference. The Tamron is sharper than the Nikkor. One of my friend who’s a Canon user even said that it’s sharper than his Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 lens
Come on, how can a lens that cost HALF the price of my $1200 Nikkor be sharper? Well, it’s because the Nikkor used the money for their all-metal construction (which makes the lens much more heavier). In terms of optical performance, they haven’t updated it for a long time. Remember, in digital age, things change rapidly in just one year. By not updating their lens, the Nikkor really suffers.
Will the Tamron replace my Nikkor then? No, but I’ll use it more than my Nikkor. I’ll use the Tamron whenever I want a light and sharp lens for normal shooting condition. That’s 80% of my photography.
For the other 20% of my photography, when I have to travel to extreme condition (snow, desert, etc.) I still don’t trust the Tamron yet and will still stick with the Nikkor.
If you live normally and don’t shoot under extreme weather condition, go for the Tamron.
It’s worth every penny.
On to my full Tamron 17-50 VC review below…
Specs • Performance • Sample Image • Conclusion • Where to Buy
Tamron 17-50 VC Review – Specs
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Everything is pretty much the same as the good old Tamron 17-50 lens. Due to the VC feature, this one has more elements and groups which makes it slightly bigger and heavier than the non-VC version.
Official Name:
Tamron SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II VC LD Aspherical (IF)
Focal Length Markings:
17mm, 24mm, 35mm and 50mm
Features:
SP – Better build quality compared to standard Tamron lens. You’ll feel the professional build.
AF – Allows the lens to focus automatically on your subject.
XR – Extra Refractive Index Glass to make the lens shorter and more compact.
Di-II – Specially made for cropped sensor DSLR. You shouldn’t use this lens with a full frame camera.
VC – Vibration Compensation. Allows you to hand hold your camera at a slower shutter speed. I can do mine up to 1/10th of a second.
LD – Low Dispersion Glass to reduce chromatic aberration at the telephoto end.
Aspherical – To minimize the lens’ aberration and distortion.
IF – Internal Focusing. Lens will not change dimension during autofocus. Front element will not rotate, so you can use a polarizing filter with no problems.
Full Technical Specs (from Tamron’s website):
| Technical Specifications | |
| Groups / Elements | 14 / 19 |
| Angle of View | 78°45′-31°11′ |
| Number of Blade Diaphragm | 7 |
| Minimum Aperture | f/32 |
| Minimum Focusing Distance | 11.4in.(0.29m) |
| Filter Thread | 72mm |
| Weight | 570g (20.15oz) |
| Dimension (Diameter x Length) | ø3.13 x 3.7in. (ø79.6 x 94.5mm) |
| Macro Magnification Ratio | 1:4.8 |
| Available for | Nikon (with Built in Motor), Canon |
Optical Performance
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Tamron 17-50 VC Review – Sharpness
Like the older version, both center and border sharpness is very high on on all focal length, which still amaze me. I would even say that it’s the sharpest zoom lens for a cropped sensor camera lens.
Even at the maximum aperture of f/2.8, this lens is very sharp. The optimal aperture of this lens is on f/5.6. On the optimal aperture, this lens can even be as sharp as a prime lens. See the full sharpness tables for this Tamron 17-50 VC review below for more detail.
Sharpness Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Excellent
(4) Great
(3) Good
(2) Fair
(1) Poor
Tamron 17-50 VC Review – Center Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
| 17mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| 24mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| 35mm | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| 50mm | Great | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
Tamron 17-50 VC Review – Border Sharpness
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
| 17mm | Great | Great | Great | Great |
| 24mm | Good | Great | Great | Great |
| 35mm | Good | Great | Great | Great |
| 50mm | Good | Good | Great | Great |
Distortion
Distortion is visible at 17mm but it is relatively low. At 24mm the it’s virtually gone. Above 24mm there are some minor pincushion distortion, but it’s not a problem.
All in all, the distortion performance is almost identical to the older version.
Click the thumbnail below to see the grid distortion test in this Tamron 17-50 VC review.
Vignetting
Being a Di II lens, vignetting is most visible on 17mm f/2.8 and on 50mm f/2.8. It’s not a problem on any focal length between 17mm and 50mm.
If you’re shooting at 17mm or 50mm, stop down to f/4 or more to eliminate vignetting.
See the vignetting test below for 17mm, 24mm, 35mm and 50mm respectively in this Tamron 17-50 VC review.
Click any of the thumbnail to open the image.
Other than 17mm and 50mm at f/2.8, vignetting is not an issue.
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration is visible on the corner of 17mm at f/2.8. Other than the 17mm at f/2.8 focal length, chromatic aberration is not an issue.
See the chromatic aberration table below for this Tamron 17-50 VC review for more detail.
Chromatic Aberration Scale (from Best to Worst):
(5) Negligible
(4) Very Low
(3) Low
(2) High
(1) Very High
Tamron 17-50 VC Review – Chromatic Aberration
| Focal Length / Aperture | f/2.8 | f/4 | f/5.6 | f/8 |
| 17mm | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| 24mm | Very Low | Very Low | Very Low | Very Low |
| 35mm | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible | Negligible |
| 50mm | Very Low | Very Low | Negligible | Negligible |
To combat the Chromatic Aberration at 17mm, stop down to f/5.6 or more. For even more control, shoot RAW and correct in post processing. Photoshop or other image editing software will fix it easily.
Build Quality
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Materials
Made from high quality plastics, which made this such a light lens compared to its competitors. Made in Japan.
Zoom Ring
The zoom ring is smooth and responsive. Very easy to operate. No zoom creep.
Focusing
Focusing ring is also smooth and responsive. The autofocus speed is pretty fast and accurate. I’ve had no problem autofocusing in low light for some church interior shots.
This lens also features IF (Internal Focusing) mechanism. This means that your lens will not change dimension when it autofocus and the front element won’t rotate. So, using a polarizer is not a problem.
For Nikon user: This lens has a built in Motor, which means it can be used for cameras with no internal focusing such as Nikon Nikon D40
Vibration Compensation
The new VC (Vibration Compensation) feature works like a charm. I can still get sharp pictures even at 1/10th of a second.
Compatibility
The Di-II acronym means that this lens can only be used for cropped sensor DSLR. You cannot use this lens for a full frame DSLR (such as Nikon D3
Sample Image
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Below are some sample shots that I took for this Tamron 17-50 VC review. Click on any thumbnail to open the image.
Because this is such a great lens, I decided to make a special video slideshow! I took all the pictures using this lens. Click the play button to start the slideshow.
Get the best price online from Amazon: Nikon (with Built in Motor)
Conclusions
Back to: Menu • Introduction
Here’s the quick conclusion for this Tamron 17-50 VC review:
The Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC is a very strong performer in all aspects. The new addition of VC is a deal maker and it’s still remain as one of the sharpest zoom lens for cropped sensor DSLR (even beating prime lens at f/5.6).
If I can name a flaw on this lens it’d be the vignetting and chromatic aberration at 17mm f/2.8. But this can be easily fixed by stopping down to f/4 (or more) or by shooting RAW and correcting in post processing. Other than that I can’t find any significant flaw on this lens.
Note to Pentax and Sony DSLR users: Tamron is not making the VC version for Pentax and Sony DSLR since they already have image stabilization built in in the camera body. You’re in luck because Tamron make the old Tamron 17-50mm that is cheaper but has the exact same quality.
To summarize my findings, below are the conclusions for Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC:
Tamron 17-50mm VC Drawbacks
- A bit weak at 17mm f/2.8 (Due to Vignetting and Chromatic Aberration) but can easily be fixed by stopping down or during post processing.
Tamron 17-50mm VC Positives
- A very sharp lens, even sharper than prime lens at the optimal aperture (f/5.6)
- Convinient zoom range
- VC (Vibration Compensation) feature. I can handle mine up to 1/10th of a second.
- Lightweight and fast aperture
- Excellent value for money
Tamron 17-50mm VC is Good For
Everyday use to professional photography under normal weather condition.
Tamron 17-50mm VC is Not So Good For
Photography under extreme weather condition. If you shoot under extremely cold or hot weather most of the time (i.e working for National Geographic), then this lens is not for you.
What Others Are Saying…
by “Zachary Wagner”
I just couldn’t resist the f/2.8 through the zoom range and the VC (Vibration Compensation). So how is it? Well, I love it. It’s very, very sharp, generally focuses well and quickly, even in low light…
Click here to read the full review
by “Antonio De La Vega”
Great lens for the price! I received this lens a few days ago and immediately started using it. It feels great in the hands and in the camera, I can feel the quality. The lens focused accurately and speedily. This lens is TACK SHARP, even at F2.8 it is very sharp…
Click here to read the full review
Where to Buy
Support this site, buy the Tamron 17-50 VC lens from Amazon (best price online + FREE shipping):
If Amazon doesn’t have it in stock, try Adorama (Canon, Nikon) or B&H Photo (Canon, Nikon).
Below are some related lens reviews that you might want to check out.
Thanks for reading my Tamron 17-50 VC review. I highly recommend this lens for you if you want a light, fast and sharp lens with VC feature.
| Lens Score | |
|---|---|
| Optical Quality | |
| Build Quality | |
| Value for Money | |
| Overall | |
Tags: tamron 17-50 vc, tamron 17-50 vc review, tamron 17-50mm vc, tamron 17-50mm vc review
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